E-Hailing Regulatory Deadline: 11 March 2026

Here's what's expected to happen with e-hailing services in South Africa on 11 March 2026:

1. Major regulatory deadline

A new transport law, the National Land Transport Amendment Act, and associated regulations set a compliance deadline of 11 March 2026 for e-hailing companies (like Uber and Bolt) and drivers to be fully registered and licensed with the National Public Transport Regulator (NPTR). If they're not registered by then, they would not be legally allowed to operate under the new rules.

2. What that means for Uber and Bolt

As of late February, most major platforms (including Uber and Bolt) had submitted applications to register but had not yet completed the full registration process.

If they still haven't been formally approved by 11 March, their operations could technically be illegal meaning they shouldn't legally offer rides anymore.

Whether the government actually enforces a ban immediately is still uncertain regulators might extend deadlines, enforce selectively, or speed up approvals instead of shutting services down abruptly.

3. What changes for drivers

In addition to the platforms themselves needing registration, drivers also have to get new e-hailing operator licences, show official branding on vehicles, and meet safety requirements (like installed panic buttons). Drivers who don't comply by the deadline could face fines or other penalties.

4. Some companies are already compliant

One operator Wanatu has already completed its national registration and is legally recognised under the new rules ahead of the 11 March deadline.

In short

By 11 March 2026 the e-hailing industry in South Africa is expected to hit a critical regulatory milestone platforms and drivers must be fully registered and compliant with the new e-hailing laws or risk being deemed illegal operators. How strictly that deadline will be enforced and whether popular services like Uber and Bolt will be allowed to keep running depends on whether they complete their registrations in time and on any decisions by regulators.